where jess ate

Winterlicious – it’s that time of year again! I started off this year’s Winterlicious season with a meal at Azure, located at Front and Simcoe inside the InterContinental Toronto Centre Hotel (@ICTorontoCentre).

The restaurant is located in the lobby of the hotel underneath a beautiful glass canopy which makes it feel like you’re eating outside underneath the stars. And even though the restaurant is situated in an open area in the lobby, it surprisingly isn’t too loud.

With Chef de Cuisine Grace DiFede in the kitchen, Azure serves up contemporary Canadian fare with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients which is definitely evident on their menu. If you’re dropping by for dinner, the three course Winterlicious prix-fixe will cost you $45 while the lunch option will cost you $25.

Here’s a look at what their Winterlicious dinner menu has to offer, starting with some cocktails:

Mexican Screwdriver – tequila, passion fruit puree & house made jalapeno ginger syrup ($13)

Bourbon Vanilla Soda – bourbon, fresh lime & house-made vanilla bean soda ($14).

Bread Basket – flatbread, breadsticks and rolls

The first appetizer we shared was the Parsnip Bisque – with roasted pears & double smoked bacon. When I saw a soup on the menu, I immediately knew we had to order it. Nothing beats a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day (can winter end yet?). The bisque had a nice smooth texture with large chunks of roasted pear and bits of bacon sprinkled within it. A satisfying bowl of soup!

The other appetizer we shared was the Maple Whisky Cured Organic Salmon – mint yogurt, candied pecans, Ontario beets & crostini. I loved all the components of this dish – the fresh bite-sized beets, the addictive candied pecans and mint yogurt which had a nice sharpness to it. They all complimented the cured fish wonderfully.

One of the entrees we shared was the Ontario Grain Fed Veal Osso Bucco – with potato gnocchi, root vegetables, kale & gremolata which was the perfect winter dish! The meat fell right off the bone, the sauce was packed full of flavour and I loved the addition of the gremolata.

The potato gnocchi that accompanied the veal was equally delicious. They looked like they had been lightly pan fried which gave them a nice crunch. Delish!  

The second entree we decided on was the Pomegranate Glazed Arctic Char – with navy bean puree, pistachios, roasted cipollini, arugula & chives . The arctic char was cooked well but we just wished that the skin was a little crispier. As for the pomegranate glaze, we didn’t actually taste the pomegranate…but we didn’t miss it – it was still a tasty dish.

For dessert, I went with the Banana Walnut Ice Cream – with house made biscotti and rum toffee sauce. I’m a sucker for banana desserts so this was a no-brainer. Even though it was topped with toffee sauce, it wasn’t too sweet and the candied walnut topping with was a nice touch. A great way to end off the meal!

Mike went with the Apple Caramel Cheesecake – with calvados sour cream and a praline crust. The texture was quite creamy which I prefer and I liked that there were apples in the cheesecake itself.

Needless to say, we had another great Licious experience at Azure (read about my Summerlicious experience here). Winterlicious just started on Friday so not to worry – there’s still plenty of time to snag a reservation!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post are my own.*